Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a restraining chute for holding animals for the purpose of veterinary and other inspection, and for trimming the hooves of animals such as cattle. The present invention is a fully automated chute that restrains the animal, lays it on its side, and secures its legs for inspection and trimming of the hooves.
Description of the Related Art
The hooves of ungulated animals grow continually. In some situations the animal walks enough so that the hooves are naturally worn down. But domesticated livestock typically do not walk or roam sufficiently, and in many cases their hooves need to be trimmed on occasion for the health and well being of the animal. The hooves of cattle are typically trimmed while the animal is immobilizing in a chute. In some cases the chute is raised and the hooves are trimmed when hanging below the animal. In other cases the animal is placed in a “layover” chute that flips the animal onto it side, with the hooves extending from the bottom or the chute. It is often easiest to trim the hooves when the legs are restrained or stabilized. Hoof trimming chutes are well known. Some examples can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,228,766 to Wedman, U.S. Pat. No. 5,669,332 to Riley, and U.S. Pat. No. 8,561,576 to Pingsterhaus. All three disclose variations of a chute for holding and immobilizing cattle and laying over the animal on to its side in order trim the hooves.
Modern layover hoof trimming chutes make trimming cattle hooves relatively easy, and while all of the prior art chutes have advantages, they also have disadvantages. U.S. Pat. No. 5,669,332 to Riley (the Riley patent) for example, uses a series of hydraulic controls to open and close the front and rear gates of the chute and tilt the chute into and from the layover position. But the Riley patent places the hydraulic controls at the rear of the chute, which means the person operating the controls cannot see the head of the animal is it nears and extends from the front gate. This typically means that trimming cattle hooves becomes a two person operation, with one person controlling the animal as it is herded into the chute, and the other person operating the hydraulic controls. There is a need, therefore, for a means for controlling the moving features of the chute where the operator can see the animal in the chute while operating the controls.
When cattle are in the horizontal position in a layover chute their legs are extended from the bottom of the chute. Some cattle flail while others seemed stunned and lay stock still. It is necessary to immobilize the hooves for trimming or other procedures. This is commonly done with a rope or chain that is attached to the chute and that is wrapped around the leg near the ankle and tied down or secured in other ways. It often requires both hands to tie down a cattle leg. One hand holds the leg and the other loops the rope around the leg. The problem occurs when the leg is released in order to tie the rope or secure the chain. In some cases the animal will kick or jerk the leg away. There is a need, therefore, for a device to secure the leg that can be operated and secured easily. The other problem encountered with restraining the leg with a rope or chain is that the rope or chain must be secured relatively tightly around the animal's lower leg. In some cases this can cause injury to the animal, particularly if the animal is skittish and attempts to pull away. There is a need, therefore, for a restrain that secures the leg without wrapping tightly around the leg and that does not directly contacts the skin of the animal.
The cage of the standard layover chute is constructed by bolting or welding together the front gate, the two side walls, and the rear gate. This is often done with cross beams and other connecting structure. A typical example can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,669,332. The cage of a hoof trimming chute is subjected to extreme and dynamic forces. The cage must restrain a very large animal. While cattle are often docile, when frightened or agitated they often thrash about, and simply due to their size can cause considerable force on the cage. Additionally, in a layover chute the cage is rotated from the vertical to the horizontal position every time a animal's hooves are trimmed. This places additional forces on the chute. Because of these forces it is not uncommon for the attachment to loosen, weaken or break. There is a need, therefore, for a cage structure with integrated and strengthened components to ensure the stability and long life of the chute.
Animals are brought to the rear of the chute by means of gating or fencing that is positioned to create narrow walkways that are just wide enough for one animal to walk through, which forces the animals to approach the chute in single file. (Note, these narrow walkways are commonly referred to as “chutes” but because that word is also used to describe the device herein, these walkways will be referred to as narrow walkways.) One of the problems encountered in bringing the animals to the rear of the chute is that they will push up against the back of the chute or get in the way of the trimmer or the operator or the moving components of the chute. There is a need, therefore, for a way to keep the animals away from the back side of the chute, and that is integrated within the chute.
Standard chutes typically have a rear or tail gate to prevent the animal from backing out of the chute. In some cases the tail gate is little more than a single bar across the rear of the chute. In all cases the tail gate is flat, which means that if the animal does attempt to back up, and if the tail gate is not fully closed, the animal's hindquarters can slide to side and out of the gate. There is a need, therefore, for a concave tail gate that cups the animal's hindquarters and prevents the animal from squeezing out of the rear of the chute.
The fencing or gating that is used for assembling the narrow walkways is frequently brought to the location by the hoof trimmer. The gating, which is typically about eight to ten feet long and five to six feet high, is often carried by the trimmer on the truck or other vehicle with the trimming chute. Sometimes the fencing is stored within the chute, other times it is strapped to the chute during transit. The vehicles generally operate on road and highways, as the chute is moved from one location to another. There is a need, therefore, for a way to securely stow the fencing, and conveniently attach it so that it is readily available to use, but also out of the way of the wheels of the vehicle during transit.
During the hoof trimming and inspection process the hoof trimmer or operator requires different equipment, such as the grinder that is used to trim the hooves. Medication is often used if sore or lesions are found on the lower legs or on the hooves. This medicine and equipment is often stored in storage boxes located on the vehicle to provide easy access during the hoof trimming process. In some cases a hoof will be cracked, or will be damaged during the trimming operation. In these situations a hoof glue is used that can temporarily secure the hoof. In some cases a small cap or cover can be placed on the bottom of the hoof to serve as a temporary pad while the hoof heals, and these are glued to the hoof. There are many types of hoof glues, which are well known in the industry. One hoof glue is heated and liquefied and applied hot, and it solidifies and binds as it cools. This hoof glue is typically warmed by wrapping with a heating pad. It would be desirable for a heated storage box to be located in an easily accessible location when the chute is in the layover position so that the trimmer will have easy access to heated glues.